As you have probably already seen in our store, we are stockists of both LifeSpan Treadmill Desks and the Bike Desks. So we are often asked what the better active workstation is.

In truth, we are supportive of all active work stations, because quite simply any desk which encourages movement is better than a desk which encourages sedentary behaviour. 

So what are the real differences, well firstly with the treadmill desk you are standing - walking in fact. Walking properly has plenty of benefits, from improving general posture and muscle tone to preventing cardiac related illness, lower back pain and long-term joint damage.

FACT Heart disease is halved in men who walk more than 1.5 miles a day and women who walk four hours a week had a 35 per cent reduction in risk of heart disease.

However, both active desks promote good circulation, and the circulation of blood around your body is key to your health. Returning blood to the heart from lower parts of the body, such as the feet and legs, is hard work for your circulation because the blood has to be pushed ‘uphill’. To do this, the circulation needs help from muscles that surround the veins. The more the muscles work the greater the squeezing action and the easier it is to push blood back to the heart. In effect, muscles in areas such as the feet and legs work as your "second heart".

FACT The circulatory system is responsible for carrying oxygen, nutrients and water throughout the body and for ensuring the optimum removal of waste products like carbon dioxide, which is produced whenever cells breathe.

Stress is also another factor that is causing concern among UK office workers, stress in the workplace has a negative effect on not only those suffering but on those around them. Physical activity produces endorphin's—chemicals in the brain that act as natural painkillers—and also improve the body's ability to sleep, which in turn reduce stress. So it stands to reason that if your body feels better, so does your mind. If more businesses installed active desking, occupational therapists believe that stress in the workplace would be cut by as much as 60%. Sometimes, just allowing employees the freedom to move away from their own desk and enjoy an active hot-desk such as a treadmill desk or a bike desk will give them the mental clarity they need, and a fresh perspective for handling their problems. With that in mind, both desks can equally help with stress management. 

Many of our customers have also claimed that their active desk has made them more productive, and it's true when your body is active whilst you work your mind has little chance to wander allowing users to fully focus on the task in hand. 

In conclusion, both desks promote exercise at work which in turn creates many positive health benefits. However, the treadmill desk certainly encourages better posture which helps relieve joint pain. So with that in mind the treadmill desk is perhaps the healthier more ergonomic choice in the long run. Whereas, the bike desk offers a smoother transition from sitting to active desking. Nonetheless, the important thing to remember is that whatever form of active desking you install, you will be making a significant investment in the workplace well-being of you and your employees.